There is a season

I love summer.

I love having most of my children at home with not many things required of them.

I love being able to spend from 1:30 til 10:30 watching The Gilmore Girls with Kaitlin and Marisa. We just did this one day but it was so much fun. The Gilmore Girls is definitely for girls and we try to watch when all the boys are not at home. When they are home they make comments and then we have to send them out of the room.

I love have spur -of -the moment times when we can just get up and go without having to get back at a certain time.

I love being able to sit and visit after a meal and not having someone having to rush away to get back to class.

I love all the laughing that happens when these three get tickled.

I love going to Charlotte's as many times as I can find people to go with me. I think I have been four times this summer. Charlotte's is restaurant in Keo, AR which is about 45 minutes from me. They have wonderful desserts, great hamburgers and sandwiches and in the summer only this FABULOUS fruit plate that also comes with chicken salad and two cheese biscuits. My mouth is watering. When you sit down at Charlotte's you first check the dessert board- Charlotte and her husband make them every morning and when they are gone, they are gone. I have had Italian Creme Cake and Strawberry Cake so far this summer. KimT orders her Carmel Pie when she makes our reservations so she is assured to have a piece. If you need me to go with you to Charlotte's, just let me know. I have the gift of eating at Charlotte's. I'll even teach you some Arkansas history along the way.

I love to see Marisa and Kaitlin reading books for pleasure.

I love it when we are all in the same room for longer than 10 minutes.

I love going shopping with my girls and being able to just look and look as long as we want. ( Carl , please notice that I didn't say-just buy and buy as long as we want) :)

I love the relaxed attitude at home because of the lack of dead lines.

I know that summer will be over on the 16th of August. I know that I may never have another summer with these three home. Next summer may be different with different jobs and responsibilities. So I am breathing deep and savoring and going with the flow. And I am thankful, so very thankful for this time with these great, young adults who like being with me. I am blest.

A Good Laugh

I read this last night in my January Reader's Digest. I laughed until I cried and then told it to Kaitlin and Marisa and we laughed again. I hope you enjoy!

If the Boot Fits, Wear It By Trish Sinclair

It was the first snow of winter—an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been able to dress myself for recess, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days many times in her long career, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my itchy wool snow pants. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn't fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots."I didn't realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much wiggling and pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with an audible sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, "They're on the wrong feet."With the grace that only experience can bring, she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again. Then I said, "These aren't my boots, you know."As she pulled the offending boots from my feet, she still managed to look both helpful and interested. Once they were off, I said, "They're my brother's boots. My mother makes me wear them, and I hate them!"Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn't an annoying little girl. She pushed and shoved, less gently this time, and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet. With a great sigh of relief, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?"
I looked into her eyes and said, "I didn't want to lose them, so I stuffed them into the toes of my boots."
--Canadian Trish Sinclair recently self-published a collection of her life stories.

What's your 20?

October is my favorite month of the year. It has several special and fun days that I like to celebrate plus the air has a bit of crispness in it. After 7 years in New Orleans where there are only two seasons- hot and not quite as hot, I so enjoy having 4 seasons with fall being my favorite.

I love pumpkins and harvest decorations. I have them all over the place- the mantle, kitchens windows, bookcases, hearth, any surface without books on it. It is handy that AUBURN colors are orange and blue so my AUBURN decorations fit into my October/fall theme.

College football is into full swing by October. Today is the ar/fl game here in Fayetteville, AUBURN is on game day again with their game against vandy, plus I'll be pulling for ky today to beat al.

The only down side of October is this is the month when we see Tarantulas IN and around our house. My brother, John, thinks I should catch these guys and sale them on ebay. I generally scream until someone comes to help me and beats the thing to death. Someone once told me that Tarantulas aren't THAT poisionous. HA! The ones we see are BIG, I am not worried poison but the heart attack that will follow when these bad boys hop and hop they do!

Today is a fun day of mine in October. National C B holiday. 10-4

Have a great day Good Buddy!

ps- what's your 20 is the trucker lingo for asking where are you?, 10-4 is how they say over and out and Good Buddy is what they call each other. That's all the trucker lingo I know, no wait I do know when you see a policeman with a radar gun giving out tickets that is a smokey taking pictures and handing out coupons. For further knowledge watch Smokey and The Bandit.

Is it Duke or North Carolina?

Here is a Football Funny. Poor Fellow